Da Costa runs fastest marathon in history at Berlin: 2:06:45

Brazil's Ronaldo da Costa ran the fastest marathon in history Sunday, breaking the 10-year-old record by 45 seconds in clocking 2 hours, 6 minutes, 5 seconds, at the Berlin Marathon.

The 28-year-old bettered the previous world best of 2:06:50 set by Ethiopia's Belayneh Densimo at Rotterdam in 1988."I wanted to run under 2:08, but when I saw how good the conditions were I just went for it," da Costa said, after running on a cool, sunny and windless day.

Da Costa broke to the front at the halfway point, reached in 1:04:42. He then struck out by himself and his acceleration was so quick that within less than a mile, he was 45 seconds in front.

He ran the second half in a sensational 1:01:23, and after crossing the finish line, he did a cartwheel in celebration.

Thus the men's and women's marks were broken in the same year. Kenya's Tegla Loroupe smashed the women's 13-year-old record with 2:20:47 at Rotterdam in April.

Kenyans took the next three places Sunday, with Josephat Kiprono the runner-up at 2:07:26, followed by Samson Kandie at 2:09:11 and Reuben Chebutich at 2:10:39. Kiprono's time was 11/2 minutes faster than his previous best, the 21-year-old Kandie matched his marathon debut time at Prague in May, and Chebutich's time was two minutes faster than his victory at Belgrade in April.